That is the sartorial philosophical question now acing men — not to mention brands and retailers — as a looser silhouette is beginning to percolate among some European and American designers. After more than a decade of shrunken silhouettes, pioneered by the likes of Hedi Slimane in Europe and Thom Browne in New York and taken to the masses by J. Crew and its Ludlow model, the pendulum is beginning to swing — or at least inch — the other way.

This story first appeared in the October 14, 2015 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.

At the recently completed spring men’s shows, designers including Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Haider Ackermann and even the U.S.’s quintessential Southern gentleman Billy Reid showed voluminous blazers and baggy pleated pants that harked back to the power suits of the Eighties and Nineties rather than the rockers or preppies of the Fifties.

But is the world of men’s wear — where stylistic shifts take place at a glacial pace and customers evolve slower than Australopithecus — ready to adapt to a new shape? Some don’t think so.

“This is dangerous,” bristled Joseph Abboud. “We can’t play with men’s wear like we play with women’s wear. If we do, we will crash and burn. That’s why we never wanted to go too skinny. If you go too extreme, you lose the guy.”

Abboud should know. While he has his own higher-end, more fashion-forward line, he also is creative director of The Men’s Wearhouse, which appeals to the male masses with more than 1,700 stores in North America. While it took a while for the retailer to go skinnier, slim-fit suits now represent 45 percent of the company’s business.

That said, Abboud did tweak his collection slightly for spring by broadening the shoulder, suppressing the coat and offering a subtle flare from the hips out. “In a way it’s like an hourglass,” he said. “The dimensions are slightly different, but nothing drastic.”

That temple of preppy-dom Brooks Brothers, which hired Browne to design an updated collection called Black Fleece in 2007, is holding off from going slouchier, as well.

“In men’s wear, it takes a period of time for rends to evolve,” said Lou Amendola, chief merchandising officer. “We saw the influence of slim suits in 2006 with Thom Browne and now it’s 50 percent of our business. We need change because then consumers will update their wardrobes, but it’s a slouchier jacket, “but we won’t throw the other things out. We’ll probably test something in the winter of next year or even spring-summer 2017.”

He said jacket silhouettes in 2016 will start moving toward more deconstructed shoulders and chest pieces, creating a little bit more slouchy of a silhouette, “but it’s not a big, baggy suit,” he said. After all, we’re talking about men’s wear, where a large portion of the population is probably still wearing slouchy suits anyway — having never cleaned their Nineties versions out of their closets. But the looser look coming along at Brooks isn’t just about suits.

Plain-front pants now represent 80 percent of the business, but “we were pushing for 40 percent eight years ago,” Amendola said. For fall 2016, the retailer will introduce a sin- gle-pleat model that will be around 5 to 10 percent

of the overall offering “and see how it goes.” Even J. Crew is evolving the look of the Ludlow. Frank Muytjens, head of men’s design for J. Crew, for spring showed a less-constructed model paired with drawstring pants along with pleated pants that were “softer and a little more slouchy” and a longer, oversize trenchcoat.

“The change in silhouette is something new and fresh,” he said. “More relaxed and friendly.” There are those brands, though, that have gone skinny and are staying that way. Ronny Wurtzburger, president of Peerless Clothing, the country’s leading tailored clothing-maker, joked that he hopes his competitors start showing slouchy

suits. “Then I’ll just get more business,” he said. Wurtzburger said in the U.S., men are just now getting into slim suits, “so I’m not going to do baggy at this point. The Europeans are more stylish and the Americans are more conservative. If anything, soft construction will be 6 percent of the assortment. It’s an item — but men won’t walk onto Wall Street wearing sloppy suits.”

Stephane Cremieux, chief executive officer of Daniel Cremieux, agreed. “There’s a difference between stage fashion and street fashion,” he said. “We’re doing clothes for people to wear to the office and not look like clowns. Once a man likes a suit fit, he’ll wear it forever.”

The Cremieux suit offering is slim and the company’s solid navy model with shorter, tighter pants is the bestseller. “No one wants baggy,” he said. “That’s a design trend and it looks good in pictures, but our customer wants to look elegant.”

Nor are European or Far Eastern consumers about to chuck the skinny for the slouchy.

Nick Keyte, head of men’s wear buying for John Lewis in London, said his customer is still seeking a “very clean, very modern” fit, which he defined as “slimmer and more tailored. There’s no doubt at a very high level, we have noticed a slightly fuller line coming through, but right now I think in terms of our market position, which is probably mid to premium, we’re still seeing amazing success in a more modern, slimmer silhouette.”

Murray Coetzee, head designer for Suitsupply, acknowledged the trend, “but it is more geared for real fashion followers. For us, it’s important to interpret these trends in a very subtle way. For example, we are already doing trousers with a pleated front for our more fashion-forward customers. Pleated trousers and waistcoats are definitely a trend we like.”

Karen Vernet, Printemps’ general merchandise manager of men’s apparel, homewares and private label, said: “Slim has been a very strong direction for the men’s silhouette for international designers, and today slim suits are more and more the standard for the ‘regular’ customers. It is true that in the past few seasons, we saw different proposals on the men’s silhouette playing on volumes, especially with large fluid pants (from Marni to Ermenegildo Zegna by Pilati), but very often the more commercial proposals in showrooms go toward the slim fits and as a retailer, we bet more on this.

“Of course, our role is to push for the new trend of slouchy, fluid pants, but we do it by touch, so that our customers go step by step into this.”

In China, where slim is definitely in, retailers and brands don’t expect a quick shift.

Mark Asaf, managing director of Empire International Tailors in Hong Kong, said, “Male fashion icons from major Asian entertainment industries in Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan are still commonly seen wearing extra-slim and boyish suits, so it seems that the slim suit will be staying around for a while.”

While the company has seen a growing number of men interested in vintage suits — something straight out of the show “Boardwalk Empire” — slim suits still dominate in terms of demand. “The comeback of the classic 1920s bootlegger look is still in its early phases and only popular among a small group of individuals,” Asaf said.

Justin Chang, business development manager for Tcny, a younger label and subsidiary of Ascot Chang Co. Ltd., said, “We see a lot of young guys come in for slim suits and they want to look like guys out of ‘Mad Men’ or ‘Suits.’ Pretty much 85 to 90 percent of the guys who come in want to get a slim suit. In the last one or two years at Ascot Chang, we are starting to see a slightly older generation of guys wanting slimmer-fitting suits, too. It might not be skinny fit, but it’s slimmer than what they are used to. That’s a cue that [this trend has] reached the mainstream.”

Peter Lee, cofounder of Lee Baron Fashion Ltd., believes slim suits will be in style for another two years. “People are more healthy and slim so no one wants to wear loose clothing on their body. I’m selling almost 99 percent slim-fit suits since three years back.”

So while the looser silhouette and baggier pants might look good on the runways of Milan or Paris, it appears that, for now at least, the majority of men aren’t about to be a slouch.

Social Studies

You might not know who Beanie Feldstein is now, but the breakout star is poised to be a name synonymous with comedy. ⁣⁣
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Beanie stars in @OliviaWilde's directorial debut "Booksmart," opening today. The film has been dubbed the female "Superbad" — which is somewhat ironic since Beanie is actor Jonah Hill's younger sister. ⁣⁣
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“She is sort of like Paris Geller meets Lisa Simpson with a little bit of Sandra Bullock in ‘Miss Congeniality.’ I liked the idea of showing that a girl can be silly and loose with her friends and also be really intense and kind of biting at school,” Beanie said of her character, Molly.⁣ ⁣
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The actress also said that Wilde’s take on the story is “fresh and honest” and she was “whip-smart” in her directorial debut.⁣
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Tap the link in bio for more. ⁣⁣
Report: @leighen⁣
📸: @jgreenery
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#wwdeye
#booksmart
#beaniefeldstein

It looks like Kris isn't the only momager in the Kardashian-Jenner family. ⁣
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Kim Kardashian is setting up son Psalm West for success in the fashion, beauty and home sectors — at the ripe old age of two weeks. ⁣
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On May 18, Kardashian filed a trademark for her son for “Psalm West” under her company, Kimsaprincess, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. ⁣
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Now all of the West children have trademarks filed under their names. ⁣
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Tap the link in bio for more. ⁣
Report: @laylailchi
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#wwdfashion⁣
#kimkardashian⁣
#psalmwest

Natalie Portman, Uma Thurman, Kate Moss, and Roger Federer at the Moët & Chandon in France. ⁣
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The intimate dinner celebrated the 150th anniversary of its Brut Imperial blend, at its just-reopened Château de Saran overlooking the vineyards of the Champagne region in the east of France.⁣
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There were fireworks, towering pyramids of Champagne glasses — plus vines and VIPs as far as the eye could see. ⁣
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Tap the link in bio for more. ⁣
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Report: @fleurfleurette
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#wwdeye
#moetchandon

Shailene Woodley has no desire to keep up with the superficial standards of Hollywood.⁣
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“If you look at Hollywood — and I’m no saint in this regard — but every single time somebody gets a little bit more famous, they get a little bit thinner, and they get a little bit blonder, and they get a little bit more defined in their face,” Woodley says. ⁣
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“There’s sort of this sense of machinery that can happen to people in the limelight, and I was very fortunate also at a young age to work with so many incredible, strong women who were already a little rebellious in their own ways against the machinery that can be this industry.” ⁣
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Tap the link in bio for more.⁣
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Report: @leighen ⁣⁣
Styling: @thealexbadia⁣
📸: @ninebagatelles⁣
Production: @jgreenery⁣
Beauty: @keithcarpenterhair & @tyronmachhausen ⁣
Market: @andrew_shang & @elmercer⁣

The Prada Group is going fur-free. ⁣
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The company will no longer use animal fur in its designs or new products, starting from the spring/summer 2020 women’s collections. ⁣
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Creative director Miuccia Prada explained that the company “is committed to innovation and social responsibility,” and that its fur-free policy “is an extension of that engagement.”⁣
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Tap the link in bio for more.⁣
Report: @luisazargani
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#wwdfashion⁣
#prada⁣
#furfree

Soccer superstar Lionel Messi is launching an apparel collection. ⁣
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The Argentine athlete, who captains both FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team, has partnered with MGO, a brand portfolio company whose chief creative officer is Tommy Hilfiger’s sister, Ginny Hilfiger, to create Messi.⁣
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The premium lifestyle brand with “a sporty edge” will be primarily men’s wear but will include a few women’s tops as well, according to Hilfiger.⁣
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Hilfiger said despite his fame and wealth, Messi “is a really humble, generous and kind person and a great role model. He has been involved since we started talking to the Messi family two-and-a-half years ago when we presented the idea to them. ⁣
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Tap the link in bio for more. ⁣
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Report:⁣ @jeanpalmieri
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#wwdfashion⁣
#LionelMessi ⁣
#FCBarcelona⁣
#mgo⁣
#GinnyHilfiger

Once upon a time in Cannes, @ellefanning had another major red carpet-moment in @Dior.
Tap the link in bio to read what growing up in Hollywood was like for the youngest-ever jury member at Cannes.
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#wwdfashion
#ellefanning
#dior
#onceuponatimeinhollywood

Shailene Woodley is an all-in or not-at-all kind of woman — leading her to get the reputation as the hippie of Hollywood. ⁣
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She views her experience of “breaking out,” if you will, as a kind of shepherding by older, wiser female costars along the way, women she says helped her steel herself against the superficial demands of the industry. ⁣
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One of those women, @reesewitherspoon, spoke to us about Woodley's inspiring performance on "Big Little Lies." “Her portrayal of a woman who is both a survivor of sexual assault and a single mother raising her child alone in a new community is one of the most truthful performances I’ve ever seen. There is a scene in episode two of this season where Jane explains her assault to Ziggy that moves me to tears every time I see it," Witherspoon said. ⁣
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Woodley's acting choices have earned her a reputation for being a talented and utterly professional one to watch, but it’s her candid, unabashed activism in real-life that people are taking notice of. ⁣
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“I think it’s very easy for all of us to be comfortable in our bubbles and to be comfortable in the lives of privilege that a lot of us live, to be comfortable in our own space, in our own opinions, in our own forms of what we think is right or wrong, black and white, justice and non-justice — but ultimately until every single person on this planet feels like they are treated like a proper human being, I’m not going to stop because more than anything, I’m just somebody who deeply feels,” Woodley said.
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Tap the link in bio for more. ⁣
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Report: @leighen ⁣
Styling: @thealexbadia
📸: @ninebagatelles